->''"Do the right thing; Karma will get you laid!"''-->-- '''WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick''' on ''WesternAnimation/{{Anastasia}}''

A common practice in SelfInsertFic, the female will "redeem" a DracoInLeatherPants, and IKEAErotica ensues. Frequently, the female who "redeems" the bad guy is a MarySue.

Redemption Sex ''can'' be written well - provided [[CharacterDevelopment the relationship constructed is realistic]]. For example, the canon anti-hero/villain is in love with this other person. And love of course changes him (he's a nicer, more emotional person), but doesn't change his view of the world ''that'' much - ie, he still likes this canon person, dislikes the other, and punches people in the face but has a fondness for the one he had sex with.

For the reverse (Sex Equals Redemption), see SexFaceTurn. Happens because AllGirlsWantBadBoys. Naturally, [[RedemptionEqualsDeath things could be worse...]]

See also SexualKarma.----!!Examples:

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[[folder: Comic Books ]]

* Used in ''UltimateXMen'' as {{Wolverine}}'s reason for permanently joining the X-Men, as opposed to killing Xavier and leaving like he was supposed to. Unlike most examples, however, Jean didn't know that Wolverine needed to be redeemed, and after finding out, promptly dumped him, disgusted that that was his original reason for joining them.* CaptainAtom and [[DatingCatwoman Plastique]] consummated their affair only after she had repented of her crimes (also [[PreClimaxClimax right before the final battle with the Faceless One]]). They got engaged after the final battle.

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[[folder: Fan Fiction ]]

* An inverted example comes from ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8532906/1/iFightCrimeWithVictorious iFight Crime With Victorious]]'' during Robbie's MoralEventHorizon when he discovers he can use his power not only to change the world but also benefit himself, starting with [[spoiler: possessing Cat and having sex with her]], which is one of the major reasons the BigDamnHeroes try to rewrite the timeline and avoid.* Numerous fics have ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' filling this role for [[FoeYay her nemesis]] [[SlashFic Shego]].* Azula in HowIBecameYours ends up with Sokka after losing her memory.* Spike from ''Series/{{Buffy the Vampire Slayer}}'' often needs to become good in order to get to a sexual relationship with Buffy. In the actual show, not so much. In fact, she only slept with him after he discovered he could kill her and they beat the hell out of each other.

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[[folder: Film ]]

* Pick a ''[[Film/JamesBond Bond]]'' film, any Bond film. Special mention goes to ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}'', in which this doubles as RapePortrayedAsRedemption... in [[Literature/{{Goldfinger}} the novel]], of a ''lesbian''! However, in the novel she approaches him. Apparently, [[EvenTheGuysWantHim all women are hetero for James Bond.]]* ''WesternAnimation/{{Anastasia}}'' ends with [[HistoricalVillainUpgrade Rasputin]]'s defected sidekick, a bat, randomly meeting a [[PinkGirlBlueBoy pink]] [[DistaffCounterpart girl bat]] who had in no way been set up before that moment. WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick's review provides the current page quote.

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[[folder: Literature ]]

* Inverted and subverted in the StarWarsExpandedUniverse, in which Mara executes a HeelFaceTurn and then marries Luke...ten years later. Many fans like to think there was at least some SexFaceTurn in the Thrawn trilogy.* In Richard Laymon's ''Night Show'', Linda [[InvokedTrope invokes]] this by having sex with Joel, the only one of the three boys who genuinely regrets playing that horrifying, traumatic prank on her years ago. [[spoiler:[[RoaringRampageOfRevenge She still kills him afterward]], but at least she forgave him enough to grant his last wish]].* Used in ''Literature/TheEpicOfGilgamesh'', making this OlderThanFeudalism. (Except in this case, it's less "Good vs. Evil" and more "Order vs. Chaos.") Enkidu starts off as a wild man, and then he has sex with Shamhat, a temple prostitute over the course of a week. By the end of the week, he is civilized. (It's not clear whether this was a ''direct'' result of the sex, or whether Shamhat used sex as a reward for appropriate behavior, thus "training" Enkidu.)

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[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' has this during [[spoiler: Sylar's Heel Face Turn phase with Elle. Ironically Elle was the person to turn him evil in the first place.]]** It doesn't last, and Sylar's first act upon returning to evil is to [[spoiler: kill Elle.]]* Subverted in Season 2 of ''{{Series/Dexter}}''. Lila, his new NA sponsor, "redeems" Dexter and they proceed to have [[DestructoNookie crazy people sex]]. But Dexter later realizes that [[spoiler:Lila is a [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative]] {{Yandere}}, and that he likes killing people too much to stop]].* Averted with Series/{{Buffy|the Vampire Slayer}} who has lots of passionate DestructoNookie with soulless Spike in Season 6, but in the following season [[spoiler:when Spike gets his soul they spend a few chaste nights together.]]

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[[folder: Video Games ]]

* Heavily implied if you're playing Light Side Female in the first {{Knights of the Old Republic}}. You even get a choice as to heterosexual or GayOption. Unlike your male counterpart [[spoiler: and Bastila]], neither romantic interest will follow you to the Dark Side. ----